Nut-lock.



R. D. REED.

NUT LOCK.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 5, 1912. v

Patented Jan. 7, 1913.

@Mmmm RAY D. REED, oF ALBUQUEDQUE, NEW MEXICO.

NUT-LOCK.

Specication of Letters Patent. I

` 15pm-cation med Maren 5, i912. serial No. 681,779..

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, vRAY D. REED, a citizen of the United States, residing at Albu- 'd vice which consists querque, in the county of Bernalillo and State of New Mexico, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements' in Nut-Locks,

of which the following is a f ull, clear, and exact description. l l

This invention relates to nut locks, the object of the same ,l being to provide novel means whereby an interlocking action bef tween the bolt and the nut thereon will be obtained which will increase as the nuti is screwed to its seat.

The invention consists of a' tapering ring adapted to be inserted `between the nut and the part to be secured so that when the nut is screwed to its seat the innerlperiphery of thering will be forced into locking engagement with the bolt.

-It also consists in the combination of ay bolt, a nut, and a part to be secured thereby, of a conical locking ring surrounding the boltand located between the nut and part to be secured', and means for preventin the expansion vof said ring whereby the inner periphery thereof will be forced into lockmg engagement with is screwed to its seat. The invention also consists in certain fea# tures of construction which will be herein-v after more fully described and claimed.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a plan view ofthe inner face of a nut constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2- is a lanjview of my improved locking device.

ig. 3 is a view showing theparts in section assembled in unlocked engagement upon a bolt. Fig. 4' is `a similar view` showing the partsin locked relation, and Fig. 5 is an enlarged side 'elevation oflmy improved locking device, looking in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 2.

Referring to thel drawingsby numerals, l and 2 designate two elements to be bolted together-j 3 designates a bolt and 4 a nut. This nut is provided with a shoulder or formed bythe v vall -of a recess 6 in one face 7 'broadly designates my improved locking of a substantially c ical, split washer or ring of steel or like flexible resilient material. `The base 8 of this split ring is of such .external circum- -ployed is not the bolt when the nut 5, shown in the drawings asy ference as to t `withinl the. recess 6, vwhile the inner periphery 9 thereof is of substantially the same diameter. as the, bolt openin 4This inner edge or peri hery is preferaly sharp or tapering, an is also preferably. cut *upon av spiral of the same pitch as the threads of the bolt, 'so' as tofit Patented Jan. 7,1913. Y

inl the space between said threads when the i device is inplace. This construction is most clearly. shown inFig.. 5. This inner edge or periphery ofthe ring 7 is provided with one or more V-shaped notches' 10 which serve to increase the flexibility of the ring at this point for apurpose which will hereinafter-appear. v The number of notches em'-V essential, however, and they may-be dispensed with altogether, if desired.

The parts are Vassembled asshown in Fig. 3, the base 8 of the ring being placed inthe recess 6, against the abutment 5 and the nut and ring being turned up on the bolt 3,' the thread 9V engaging the bolt between twol of the threads thereon. When this inner edge or thread has been forced into firm-en agev ment with the element 1, said element having meanwhile been brought into proper en= gagement with element 2, the ring will cease to turn with the nut and further turning up of the nut-will gradually bend or arch Athe conical washer 7 transversely and move the edge 9 toward the 'nut until it assumes the position shown in Fig. 4e. This fleXu're of the ring. forces its outer periphery against the shoulder 5, and -its inner periphery into close lengagement with the bolt,

thus securing a double locking action,'the

ring exerting a radial outward pressure upon the Vnut and .a radial on the bolt. This latteningof the ring, is facilitated by allows a certain amount of free play ofthe ends thereof.` The notches 10 reduce the rigidity of the inner edge of tlie ring and.

further facilitate'` the It will be observe ripheryof the ring the ring will be bowed transversely, to a. greater or less extent, throughout its annular length- This provides a vresilientfengagementof thering ,with the lbolt and the shoulder on the nut, thereby obviating .in-

flattening out process.

jur to the thread ofthe bolt, which would un oubtedly takeplace'if the ringexerteda 1'10 direct thrust against the bolt and ange.

While I have show-n and described my locking ring ashaving a spiral inner periphthat as the inner pe, 1s forced toward the nut, Y

inward pressure the Vsplit in the ring which j H ery conforming to the threads of the bolt, it

is obvious that this is not an essential feature, since the inner periphery might be givenlrother forms by which a locking action of equal eectiveness might be secured, but any deviation from the spiral construction of the inner periphery would probably result in injuryto the threads of the bolt.

It is of course not -absolutely 1essential that the ring be split, since the notches in the inner perlphery might alone bedepended upon to give the ring suiicient'exibility, 'my invention residing in a substantially coneshaped ring.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. In a nut lock, the combination with a bolt and a member through which the bolt v is adapted to pass, of a nut threaded on the vso bolt and adapted to be turned up against the member and having a recess in its inner face providing an annular abutment, a flexible conical washer slidablyk engaging over the bolt, the base of the washer extending into said recess and bearing against said abutment, the reduced end of' the washer being adapted to engage the member and having a spiral. thread-engaging edge, said washer being split whereby it is adapted to expand. against said abutment when the nut is turned up against the member, said flexible washer being adapted to be bowed inwardly into the recess at its reduced end whereby the spiral thread-engaging edge thereof binds in the threads of the bolt.

2. In a nut lock, the combination with a bolt and a member through which the bolt is adapted to pass, of a nut threaded on the bolt and adapted to be turned'upon the bolt against the member, said nut having a recess in its inner face and an abutment defining i the recess, and a conical iexible split washer slidable upon the bolt and engaging at its base in the recess in the nut, the reduced end of said washer engaging said member about the bolt and'having a spiral thread-engaging edge at its reduced end adapted to bind between the ythreads" of the bolt immediately at the member and prevent the turning of the washer, the nut being adapted to be turned upon the bolt against said member whereby said washer is compressed, the base -of the washer being adapted to expand against said abutment and the reduced end of the washer lbeing adapted to be bowed inwardly into the recess as the nut approachesthe member.

In wltness whereof, I subscribe my signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

RAY D. REED.

Witnesses:

H. B. RAY, WM. WATSON. 

